Closed goggles structure



Nov. 11, 1952 w. R. CHRISTENSEN ETAL CLOSED GOGGLES STRUCTURE Filed June 8, 19 9 Patented Nov. 11, 1952 CLOSED GOGGLES STRUCTURE William R. Christensen, Newton Highlands, and Chester E. Cross, East Sandwich, Mass.

Application June 8, 1949, Serial No. 97,866

(Granted under the act of March 3, 1883, as amended April 30, 1928; 370 0. G. 757) 2 Claims.

The invention described herein, if patented, may be manufactured and used by or for the Government for governmental purposes without the payment to us of any royalty thereon.

This invention relates to anti-fogging and anti-frosting goggles structure. More particularly, the invention relates to improved goggles structure of the double-lens type, provided with moisture-collecting condensers on the goggles frame in air-sealed communication therewith to provide an air-circulatory system which causes the rapid and ready removal of moisture from within the eyecup cavities of the goggles frame.

In order to provide a goggles structure which may be utilized under low ambient temperature conditions and at the same time prevent undue chilling of the eyes, it is necessary to provide the goggles with an air-circulatory system which keeps the visibility value of the goggles at a maximum.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a closed flexible goggles structure with an improved means for dehumidifying the air isolated by the frame to lessen or prevent frosting or fogging of the lens of the goggle in cold weather.

Further, it is an object of this invention to provide a closed flexible goggles structure in which cooling and dehumidifying of the air entrapped by the goggles is efiected by means of condensers.

It is another object of this invention to provide a goggles structure with air cooling and de humidifying means so arranged that air entrapped by the goggles is convectionally recirculated through the dehumidifying and cooling means to prevent undue chilling of the eyes of a wearer.

Further objects, advantages, adaptations and modifications of this invention will be apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of goggles structure embodying this invention;

Figure 2 is a cross-section on the line 22 of Fig. l; and

Figure 3 is a partial top plan View of Fig. 1 with one of the condenser elements partially broken away.

Referring to the drawings, goggles frame I comprises a conventional flexible, rubber-type structure having a resilient face-contacting side ll, air-sealed web l2, and flexible bead IS, within which is a conventional flexible lens-holding groove l4.

As above indicated, the goggles frame It] is of conventional character, and the groove I4 is adapted to be flexed for the insertion of goggles lens I 5 in the usual and conventional manner. In addition to the holding groove 14, there are provided snap fasteners I6, likewise of conventional structure, for clamping or securing the lens [5 into groove l4. Goggles frame I0 is also provided with a conventional head strap I1, threaded through lugs or ears l8 of goggles frame [0 with an enlarged end secured in T-groove I9 of lens l5 of conventional construction and in a conventional manner.

The face-contacting side of the face-contacting part I l of the goggles frame is overlaid with a layer of chamois or cloth II and the lower portion of this coating is extended to provide a nose protector 20. Any suitable rubber, cellulosic or resinous adhesive may be used to secure this covering to the part I l of the frame l0.

As illustrated in Fig. 1, there is attached across the top of goggles frame I 0 a series of plastic air cooled condensers 2| provided with a plurality of enclosed and unobstructed air passageways in direct communication with the eyecup cavities of the goggles frame 10 which operate to prevent condensation of moisture on the goggles lens in the manner hereinafter described.

The condensers 2| may be molded or fabricated from plastic or sheet material in the nature of organic derivatives, of cellulose, such as organic esters of cellulose and cellulose ethers. Examples of such organic esters of cellulose being cellulose acetate, cellulose formate, cellulose propionate and cellulose butyrate, while examples of cellulose ethers are ethyl cellulose, methyl cellulose and benzyl cellulose, or otherwise plastic in the nature of synthetic resins as the acrylic, polyamides, Bakelite and many others of conventional character capable of forming glasslike substitutes.

These condensers 21 comprise generally rectangularly shaped box-like bodies, fabricated, for example, from 0.030 inch cellulose acetate sheet material to form, by sealing of overlapping edges with rubber or like cement, end walls 22 and 22', front and back side walls 23 and 23, respectively, and a top wall 24. As illustrated in Fig. 3, the lower side of the box-like housings of the condensers 2| are open.

Within the condensers 2| there are secured, by a suitable rubber, resin or cellulosic adhesive, a plurality of vertical fins or dividing members 25 and 25' sealed to the front and back walls 23 and 23, respectively, and disposed in parallel relation at uniformly spaced intervals. The vertical fins 25 project rearwardly from the front wall 23 approximately one-fourth the depth of the condenser and the fins 25' project forwardly from the rear wall 23 to approximately three-quarters the condenser depth so that the inner ends of fins 25, 25' are separated by a space 26 into which is inserted a space dividing partition plate 21, formed of plastic material similar to that of which the box-like housing is constructed, secured by a suitable rubber or the like adhesive to the fins 25 and 25' and to the end walls 22 and 22'. As illustrated in Fig. 3, the top edge '21 of partition plate 21 is spaced a slight distance below the condenser top 24 and thereby provides, with the fins 25 and 25, a plurality of air passageways through the condenser intercommunicating adjacent the upper end of the condenser.

In order that the condensers 2| may be inserted or mounted on the goggles frame ill, a series of rectangular openings or recesses .28 are cut in web l2 across the top portion of goggles frame I I. These rectangular openings 28 may be molded in the rib l2 and may be bordered with suitable flexible flanges 28', adapted to flexibly clamp the condensers in air-sealed relationship to the goggles frame H1, or, in the absence of such flanges, thecondenser structures may be inserted within the openings 28 and sealed therein by use of a suitable rubber, cellulosic or resinous adhesive, as desired.

As shown in Fig. 3,-the condensers 2| are provided with a small groove 29, in the end walls 22 and 22' forward of the partition plate 21, to form a slot or groove within which fit portions of the upper edge of an inner-lens or partition 30, in the manner illustrated in Fig. 2. As further illustrated in Fig. 2, when the inner lens or partition 30 is so positioned, the front edges of the portions thereof not coextensive with the condensers 2i abut against the inner edge of the bead l3 and may be held thereagainst by a gasket 3!, secured to the rib l2 by a suitable rubber, cellulosic or resinous adhesive. Further, the intermediate lens 36 is provided about its base portion with a series of uniformly spaced perforations 32, from substantially the T-grooves 19 in lens [5 to the bridge portion at the center of the lens. These perforations 32 thus afford communication between the space 33 between the lenses l5 and partition 30 and the eyecup cavities 34 provided by the goggles frame l0.

With the goggles structure provided, as herein described, adjusted about the eyes of the wearer, heating of the air contained within the goggles cavities causes it to rise convectionally and pass into the condensers 2 I, through the open passageways between the vertical fins and partition plate 21, where moisture condenses or condenses and freezes upon the surfaces of the condenser structure. The cooled and dehumidified air in the upper end of the condensers passes downwardly through the relatively narrow passageways between fins 25 on the front side of partition 21 into the space between the lenses l5 and partition 30, whence it passes through the perforations 32 back into the eyecup cavities 34 of the goggles frame ID to re-absorb moisture and re-circulate through the condenser in the manner described.

It has been discovered that for certain applications and uses the partition may be eliminated, if desired; for example, if the goggles are to be worn under very moderate fogging conditions. In the event that the lens 38 is eliminated, it is desirable to extend or position the partition 21 on a slight angle toward lens l5, to force air to pass through the condenser and into the goggles structure so as to impinge over or directly upon the inner surface of the lens l5. Further, a single condenser for each eyecup cavity or one condenser for both the cavities may be constructed as a unit with sufficient condensation capacity so that, when mounted on the rib l2, the condenser 0r condensers extend across the eyecup cavities of the goggles frame. Further, the condenser arrangement itself may be molded with the goggles frame to produce an air-circulatory system of the character substantially as described.

In accordance with the patent statutes, the

foregoing is a description in detail of what is now considered to be the preferred form of the invention, but it will be obvious that various minor changes may be made in the structural details without departing from the spirit of the invention, and it is intended that all such changes be included within the scope of the appended claims.

We claim:

1. In an anti-fogging and anti-frosting goggles having a lens supported in a frame including a flexible face contacting part cooperating with the lens to define a substantially sealed space around the eyes of a wearer of the goggles the combination comprising, one or more condensers each comprising a box-like housing projecting outwardly from said frame through apertures therein in sealed relation to the latter, the interior of said box-like housings being open to the space in said frame behind the lens, partitioning means including a plurality of normally disposed partitions cemented respectively to the front and back walls and to the opposite end walls of said housing and dividing said housing into a front row of passages and a back row of passages intercommunicating adjacent the end of the housing remote from the end thereof sealed in the frame, and air deflecting means cooperating with the partitioning means to isolate the ends of the front and back passages in said housing opposite said remote ends from direct communication with each other, said air deflecting means cooperating with the said partitioning means and the lens supported in the frame to promote convectional flow of air from the space in the goggles containing air warmed by contact with the wearers face through the condenser and along the inner side of said lens back to the said space in the goggles at a point opposite the condenser.

2. In an anti-fogging and anti-frosting goggles having a lens supported in a frame including a flexible face contacting part cooperating with the lens to define a substantially sealed space around the eyes of a wearer the combination comprising, a transparent partition in said frame adapted to cooperate with the lens supported in the frame to define a narrow space communicating with the space in said frame behind the partition and containing air in contact with the wearers face adjacent the bottom of the frame, one or more condensers sealed in and projecting upwardly from the top side of said frame, said condensers each comprising a generally rectangular box-like housing of relatively thin sheet material of high thermal conductivity having an open bottom end, a partition extending longitudinally of and fixed to the end walls of the housing between the front and back walls thereof and fins extending between and fixed to the front wall and said condenser partition and to the latter and the back wall of the housing, said fins and condenser partition cooperating to divide the housing into a plurality of passageways intercommunicating adcate with the space in said goggles containing air 10 umber warmed by contact with the wearers face.

WILLIAM R. CHRISTENSEN. CHESTER E. CROSS.

6 REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

5 UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,807,681 Baker June 2, 1931 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date 813,446 France Feb. 22, 1937 

